Voters likely will see increased politicking in the coming weeks from candidates for two Lawrence County Commission seats.

Wednesday, August 16, 2000

Voters likely will see increased politicking in the coming weeks from candidates for two Lawrence County Commission seats.

School’s starting up, football season’s beginning and vacations are ending – sure signs that the campaign season will get into full swing, candidates said.

"Everybody’s been getting out good, working here and there and talking to people, but it’s just not been as visible," incumbent commissioner George Patterson said.

When football season starts Aug. 25, county residents will see a lot more activity, he said.

"It won’t be long."

Patterson, a Democrat, will square off on the November ballot against Republican Les Boggs.

"The time has gone by fast since the primary and I think people are now starting to get interested," Boggs said.

Many wait until after summer vacation time to look at political races but the season’s beginning to shape up, he said.

Democrat Ron James and Republican Jason Stephens are facing each other in the second commission race – for commission President Bruce Trent’s seat. Trent declined to run a second time this year.

Each candidate has run commission races before. So far this year, they worked the Lawrence County Fair crowd. Signs have gone up along roadsides. There is at least one candidate Web site. And, they have been passing out literature, visiting door-to-door and attending or hosting fund-raisers.

All say they will continue such work, but they also are anxious to speak at the three public candidate forums usually held prior to the General Election – the Proctorville Women’s Club forum, Burlington Concerned Citizens forum and the American Association of Retired Persons candidate night.

The women’s club event is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the clubhouse on Ohio 7 in Rome Township.

The concerned citizens will meet Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Senior Center in Sybene for their forum.

The AARP’s event will be held Oct. 16 at Ohio University Southern Campus’s Bowman Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.

The forums are the best places where voters can hear messages from their candidates, James said.

"It’s vitally important to get to know the candidates," he said. "I wish we had seven or eight of them across the county."

James said this year’s early primary in March has made a difference in campaigning, but only in how much extra time candidates have had to work.

"It’s really laid back for a while anyway until after Labor Day, when things get intense," he said.

Stephens said he watches closely the number of days remaining until the November election. And he’s watching the school calendar.

"I think when school starts back, people will start to look at the races," he said.

After the primary, candidates build on their platforms and start spreading the word to the public, particularly candidates for the county’s highest governing board, Stephens said.

"As far as our race, they’ll be aware," he said. "But there’s 65,000 people in Lawrence County, probably 25,000 votes, so that’s a lot of work to do."